David Gergen (1942–2025) was an American political advisor, journalist, professor, and author renowned for his bipartisan service in the White House and contributions to public leadership.[1][3][6] Born in North Carolina, he served four years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War as an engineering damage-control officer, an experience he later credited with preparing him for high-stakes advisory roles.[6] Gergen advised four U.S. presidents across party lines: Richard Nixon (staff assistant and special assistant, 1971–1974), Gerald Ford (special counsel, 1974–1977), Ronald Reagan (staff director and director of communications, 1981–1984), and Bill Clinton (advisor on domestic/foreign affairs and to Secretary of State Warren Christopher, until 1995).[2][3][4][7] His roles emphasized speechwriting, crisis management, and communications, earning him a reputation as a principled, independent voice—a "foreign policy hawk committed to social progress."[6][7] Transitioning to journalism in the 1980s, Gergen was managing editor of *Public Opinion*, editor and editor-at-large at *U.S. News & World Report* (driving record circulation gains), and a commentator on *The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour*, CNN, and ABC.[1][2][3][4] He contributed to election teams winning two Peabody Awards and two Emmys.[4][5] In 2000, he published the *New York Times* bestseller *Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton*.[3][4] At Harvard Kennedy School from 1999, Gergen was a professor of public service, founding director (later co-director) of the Center for Public Leadership, mentoring social entrepreneurs, veterans, and global leaders while supporting over 100 scholarships annually.[3][4][5][6][8] He chaired Elon Law School's Advisory Board from 2005 to September 2024, shaping its innovative 2.5-year J.D. program, residency-in-practice requirement, and public service mission, with figures like Justice Sandra Day O’Connor featured.[1] Board roles included City Year, Teach for America, and the Aspen Institute.[5] Gergen died at age 83 in July 2025, leaving a legacy as a mentor and champion of principled leadership.[1][8]